


The Sleeping Kingdom

by PallasDiana



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Arranged Marriage, Dragons, F/M, Magic, Sleeping Beauty Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2019-10-31 08:10:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17845667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PallasDiana/pseuds/PallasDiana
Summary: For a princess, Levy has lived a simple life. She lives in a peaceful time and is the heiress to a prosperous kingdom. All that changed when she activates a curse placed on her country since the day she was born. With all her people asleep, Levy has to find seven dragons in order to save them. At the beginning of her journey, she encounters a bandit that agrees to help aid her. Can she really trust him?





	1. Party Crasher

The kingdom of Magnolia was a lovely and joyous place, filled to the brim with magic. Today was a particularly special day to celebrate. Magnolia had lived in peace for over a decade but the king and queen remained sad. The two had yet to have a child to inherit the throne and continue the reign of peace. Their prayers had been answered nine months ago and today was the birthday of their daughter.

Everyone in Magnolia cheered when the news came out. Their king and queen were so kind and generous with their people and it lifted their hearts to see the monarchs with a happy, healthy little princess that they quickly named Levy.

To celebrate the joyous event, the king and queen held a grand party for all to meet their daughter. The news had quickly spread to two neighboring kingdoms, Sterling and Flare.

Their kings, the silver-haired Metalicana of Sterling and the fiery Igneel of Flare came to congratulate the king and queen, their old friends. Despite the crowded aura of the room, the two quickly found their old friend by his strange, clear river blue hair. "Stephen, It's so good to see you again," Igneel came up and shook the king's hand. After they released grips, Igneel pulled Steven into a tight hug while roughly patting him on the back.

Metalicana easily split the two apart, "Control yourself, Igneel," he said dryly. "You're going to crush the poor man."

Stephen cracked his back, proving Metalicana right. The queen stepped forward with her golden hair flowing off her shoulders, "It is a pleasure to see you both again," and gave a small curtsy. "Same to you Joanne," Igneel replied as both he and Metalicana bowed to the dainty woman.

Stephen wrapped an arm around his wife and brought her closer to him. Metalicana and Igneel lightly smiled. It had been a very long time since they had last seen their friends this happy. Their new babe not only meant Magnolia would continue to live in peace but that would have another reason to fight for that peace. Metalicana coughed lightly, "Steven, I would like to speak with you and Joanne in private."

Before Stephen could reply, the conversation was interrupted by a brawl near the main door. The four rushed to the location where Igneel and Metalicana were able to break up a fight between two boys no more than four years old. One had choppy, jet black hair and terrifying blood red eyes and the other one was slightly shorter with a head of spiky, pink hair and a scarf around his neck.

The monarchs glared at the children as they continued to flail their arms. "Natsu," Igneel said to the pink-haired boy in a serious manner. "What in the blazes is going on here?"

"He started it," Natsu answered, pointing at the other boy. Metalicana's grip on the boy's shoulders tightened as he attempted to charge at Natsu. "No, I didn't, you liar!" he screamed, attracting glares from a few party goers. "Gajeel," Metalicana began in a rough, steely tone. "This is an important occasion. If you two won't behave, we'll have to come up with a special punishment for both of you when we get home." Gajeel didn't reply but he did calm down slightly. His father released him and returned to his conversation with Stephen and Joanne. Gajeel pouted and walked off to the other side off the room with Natsu behind him.

Normally, Gajeel would have told his pink-haired companion to scram but he made an exception since they were the only children at the party. It didn't take long for Natsu to open his mouth again, "I still don't get what your problem is. I get along great with my dad. Well, most of the time anyway." Gajeel groaned, "You wouldn't get it." Natsu really won't understand. Being a king took up a lot of time, but Igneel still made time for just him and his son. Metalicana was a different story. Gajeel could only barely remember the last time he was alone with his father.

The two boys reached the front of the grand hall where a little ivory bed was on display. "I don't understand what the big deal is," Gajeel said as he lifted Levy out of her cradle. He examined the tiny person in his hands and found nothing of interest; she couldn't walk, couldn't talk and could barely lift her chubby little arms. "Well, she is pretty cute," Natsu bluntly replied, wiggling his fingers in front of the giggling princess.

As dense as the fire prince was, Gajeel couldn't argue with him. The Magnolia princess was possibly the tiniest, softest, most adorable thing he would ever hold. Even though she was a mere few hours old, she had already had traces of lovely, light blue hair. Her eyes were a beautiful honey color, full of joy and innocence.

Levy quickly got bored of Natsu and began to roughly tug on Gajeel's nose. Natsu wholeheartedly laughed at his friend's obvious discomfort. "Look at that, I think she likes you."

"Shut up and get her off of me!" Gajeel yelled although nobody in the room, not even the baby, seemed too fazed by the volume of his voice. His yelling must have been what drowned out the footsteps behind them. "Excuse me, gentlemen," someone said. The boys almost screamed before turning to see the person behind them.

She was a tall woman with long, red hair tied into thick braids. A long black cloak completely covered her body and a large, wide-brimmed hat rested on her head. "May I please have a look at that darling little girl?" the woman asked politely, but her eyes and smile carried a hint of mischief.

"Knock yourself out lady," Gajeel answered with a mix of relief and terror. When the princess was placed in the woman's arms, she almost looked as if she was a doting mother. "There's a lot of magic in this one. I can tell," she chimed as she gently tapped Levy's little button nose. The two boys swore they saw small, glittery sparks come from the woman's finger, but they didn't say anything.

Finally away from the crowd of smothering adults, Gajeel and Natsu headed for the tables full of rich, lavish food. As the two stuffed their faces, they gazed across the ballroom. They didn't enjoy the party but they were still fascinated by the way all the grown-ups in the room crumbled before something so small and powerless.

Natsu then saw something, or rather someone, out of place. "Who's that guy?" Gajeel quickly noticed him too. He wore a tattered, black cloak. The hood was down, displaying the man's wild, dark blue hair and the tattoos circling around his face. No one had heard him come in since he wasn't wearing shoes.

As he entered the crowd of people, it didn't take long for his presence to be noticed. A baroness from the far west dropped her glass before she fainted at the sight of the terrifying man. Everyone began to slowly back away towards the walls and a single word was whispered throughout the room.

Acnologia.

Both Natsu and Gajeel recognized the name and ran back to their fathers. According to legend, Acnologia was a wizard who lived over 400 years ago. He practiced forbidden magic, which turned him into a dragon and gave him an insatiable appetite for destruction. He alone demolished the kingdom of Dragnof along with the rest of the dragons.

His lack of appearances in the last fifty years made everyone in the area to believe he had finally met his end. Turned out they were wrong.

"What are you doing here?" Stephen asked, more with fear then authority. Given since the man before him was the reason that dragons were now extinct. Acnologia smiled wickedly, "Can't I simply come by to see a child."

Acnologia walked toward Joanne, who was now holding her daughter. As the man closer, Levy shrieked at the top of her little lungs. Acnologia backed away, scowling at the baby's ear piercing cries. "Everyone loves this child. Then she'll be the death of you all."  
He snapped his fingers and a cloud of black smoke hovered over Levy. It disappeared as soon as she let out a series of tiny coughs. "What have you done?!" Stephen asked both astonished and terrified. Acnologia gave a wicked grin, "I haven't done anything yet. But when the princess reaches her eighteenth birthday, she'll prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and she will see her entire wretched kingdom take its last breath."

Joanne held her baby tighter and closer. Stephen quickly broke the silence, "Guards, seize him!" Four palace guards surrounded Acnologia, but he sneered and snapped his fingers again. Thick smoke swirled around him and when the guards tried to take him, he was already gone.

A cold, harsh cackle echoed through the hall. "So long, Stephen," Acnologia was no longer in the room but he made his voice present in the castle. "I look forward to seeing your darling little girl again. As she weeps over your lifeless body," he laughed again until his voice faded away.

Frustrated, Stephen kicked a small table over. He would have done it again if Igneel hadn't held him back. That second, someone came forward. A woman with long golden hair and chocolaty brown eyes. She wore a white bodysuit with a matching cape that gave off a feeling of power. "My name is Anna and I believe I can help your majesty," the woman said in a soft delicate voice.

Stephen escaped Igneel's restraints and went up to the woman with his face full of relief, "You can remove the curse?" She shook her head, "A curse can't be removed by anyone but the caster." Stephen's smile started to fade away. "But nothing says I can't alter it." The blond woman approached Joanne and Levy. She waved her hand lightly over the girl and left a trail of golden glitter that floated down to the princess.

"She will still prick her but no one will die because of it," Anna began, announcing for the entire room to hear. "All residents of Magnolia will simply be put in a deep sleep. They will only wake up ounce Acnologia is dead."

The room became silent. Acnologia was both a powerful wizard and a dragon, killing him would be nothing short of a miracle. But they understood the woman's intentions. Acnologia was no longer a man but a literal monster, no kingdom would be safe as long as he was still breathing.

Stephen walked towards the woman and, unexpectedly, embraced her with a hug and began to cry into her shoulder. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

***

No less than an hour later, the palace was nearly empty. What was supposed to be a joyous occasion had quickly turned into a harbinger of future tragedy. No one in Magnolia would die, but the kingdom would still be vulnerable to that accursed monster, as well other villains who would be more than willing to slaughter an entire sleeping town to rise to power.

"There is no need to worry," Stephen heard as he sulked on his throne. He looked to see Igneel and Metalicana still standing before him. "If such a thing does happen, you will have the aid of both Sterling and Flare." Stephen stood up and shook their hands. "Thank you both," he said, "Now, please return home. It's been a long day for everyone."

The monarchs nodded in agreement and left the room, leaving Stephen alone. For only a second.

"I heard of what you did," Stephen heard someone say. Startled, he turned to see Anna standing tall and statuesque beside him. "You confiscated every spinning wheel in Magnolia," she explained. "That will do little to stop Acnologia."

Stephen slipped back into his throne and began to sulk again. After the party, both Joanne and he figured that no one would be in any danger if Levy didn't have a spindle to prick her finger on. But if that couldn't stop the curse, what could?  
"There is no way to prevent the curse from happening," the woman said as if reading his mind. "All we can do is prepare her for it."

Anna told the king about three other powerful users of magic that could help prepare Levy for her fate. She knew they wouldn't need much convincing and that they didn't live too far away. "A letter from me and they should be here before dawn."

"That wouldn't be necessary," they heard echoing throughout the room. The redheaded woman appeared from the shadows with her cloak open to reveal her clingy black bodysuit. Anna smiled lightly, "So good to see you again, Irene." She walked towards the woman and gave her a small hug. "Will Mavis and Zera be joining us tonight?"

Irene shook her head, "I just sent them both a message, they'll be here by morning." They both turned to Stephen, who remained confused. "Don't worry, your majesty. Your daughter is in capable hands." Stephen thanked the two women before heading towards his chamber as tears of joy fell from his eyes.


	2. Encounter

Five years had quickly passed, and things remained tame. Or at least as dull as one would expect.

The marketplace was beaming with activity, with merchants loading their wares and customers buying necessities. Everyone stopped for a moment to wave hello to the adorable little princess skipping along the cobblestone road in her favorite frilly, white dress.

"Why hello there, Levy," she heard someone call to her. Levy turned to see Macao Conbolt with his sticky and charred clothes and Wakaba Mine smoking his pipe tending to the bakery. She waved back, "Hello, Mr. Macao. Hello, Mr. Wakaba." Macao gently patted Levy's little head, "Where are you headed off to?" he asked politely even though he already knew the answer.

"The bookshop," Levy answered, pulling out a big, heavy book from her bag. "I need to return this book to Miss Mirajane." Wakaba and Macao took a good look at Levy's book. It had a soft leather cover decorated with swirls of silver. The book was also quite heavy and was thicker than their arms. They flipped through the pages and didn't find any pictures, only words.

"You read this by yourself? In a single day?" Levy smiled and nodded as she took back her book. They weren't surprised as they were impressed. Everyone in Magnolia knew that the princess had uncanny intelligence, but it still didn't hinder Levy's accomplishment of learning to read at age three and now surpassing the ability of most adults.

Then the two men noticed something. Levy was almost never outside the castle by herself. "Where are your friends?" Macao asked, "Jet and Droy?" Levy pointed down the road, "They're right behind me. We are racing to the shop." On queue, two boys appeared off in the distance, one with red hair covered by a tall, silly hat and other with a ridiculous haircut, bickering with one another. "I better get going before they catch up," Levy told the two men before running off and waving goodbye. The bakers waved back and smiled at each other as the two boys passed by, still arguing. "If those two stopped fighting for more than five minutes, they might keep better tabs on that girl."

Levy made it to the town's one bookshop. It was a simple one-story brick building with a single window and a wooden sign over the door, utterly different from her lavish palace. That was part of the reason why she liked it.

Levy push the heavy door open, chiming the bell above. A woman quickly popped up from behind the counter. She was tall with a red gown and long, wavy white hair. "Hello, Miss Mirajane," Levy said handing the book over to the clerk, who gave a sweet smile as she put the book on a cart. "Are there any new ones?" the girl asked as she gleefully ran over to the shop's various shelves as if she had entered a sweet shop instead.

The castle library was broader, with the store's whole inventory being able to fit in a single bookcase. However, Levy didn't enjoy the books the castle had. To her, they were all the same. Politics, economics, geography, nothing new or very stimulating. The books at Mirajane's shop always seemed to have a little surprise after each read.

Mirajane shook her head, "Not at the moment," sounding like she could sense Levy's disappointment. She started to pull various books off the shelves, "You can take home one of the old ones if you wish," placing each one on the counter. The princess quickly picked up one of the thinner books with a leather cover that had grown soft with age. Mirajane wasn't too surprised by Levy's choice, since she had borrowed this book four times before and reread it who knew how many times.

"You know Levy, nobody else has ever read this book," She kneeled down to look at the little girl face-to-face. "You can keep it if you want to." Levy's face lit up, and her eyes seemed to sparkle, "Really!" Mirajane nodded and was given a tight little hug from Levy. Before she could thank the kind woman, Jet and Droy burst through the door almost out of breath. "How does she talk us into these things?" Droy panted before falling to his knees. Like with everything else, Jet answered quickly, "Well, it's kinda hard to say no to her."

Droy knew his friend was right. Levy was as sweet as fresh peaches and as adorable as a kitten. Anyone who looked into her big, brown eyes was utterly helpless. "Come on, Levy," Jet said, "It's time for your lesson with Miss Irene." Levy jumped up and cheered. She waved goodbye to Mirajane as she left the shop with her friends. "How about you stay with us this time," Droy said. "Your father wouldn't be too happy if we lost you." Levy nodded in agreement. She read her new book out loud along the way with her two friends smiling as they listened.

Irene brought Levy out to the courtyard for her lesson. It was very spacious, and Irene had the servants remove all the furniture, statues and anything else that could easily break, making it perfect for a magical demonstration. Irene guided Levy's hand up, "Remember what I've taught you," she instructed. Levy took a deep breath and went through Miss Irene's lessons in her mind.

She used one finger to focus her magic better and make her letters clear. The image of what she wanted to create appeared in her mind. She quickly wrote her desire word in the air and yelled, "Solid Script: Flower!"

Clusters of cherry blossoms showered down all over the courtyard. Irene smiled as she plucked a flower from her hair, seemingly impressed. "Excellent. Now, try something a little different." Levy nodded and repeated the process, only this time.

"Solid Script: Thunder!" Dark clouds appeared from nowhere, and from them came a giant lightning bolt. It touched down several feet from Irene and Levy, who could feel the raw power and scorching heat from where they stood. When the clouds disappeared, the burning grass was the only evidence of what had occurred.

Irene's smile grew, now even more impressed with Levy's talent and potential. A whistle from inside the castle broke both Irene and Levy's attention. The two of them turned to the door and saw a hand signaling Irene to come in. It could only be one of Levy's other teachers, Zera.

"Levy, I have to take this. Please stay here while I'm gone." Levy nodded and continued to practice her magic while Irene went inside. Levy went through all the spells she went through with Miss Irene and was having a ball. She loved her magic, just as much as her books.

Before too long, something else caught Levy's attention. A butterfly landed on her nose and spread out its enormous wings. Blue, purple, with a hint of red that sparkled in the sunlight. It started to flutter toward the edge of the courtyard with Levy on its tail. "Come back!" she called out. "I want to show you to my friends."

Levy ran after the butterfly into the brush. She had to keep her skirt lifted off the tall grass. Her shoes soaked from the dew and her legs covered with scratches from the broken branches and thorny vines that littered the ground.

Levy had chased after the mosaic insect, following its every swerve and zig-zag until it vanished without a trace. The princess looked at her surroundings, trees with dense foliage, thick, thorny bushes, and shadows that danced around the vegetation and made ghastly expressions that haunted nightmares. Her small, light feet hadn't made much of an imprint in the grass; Levy had next to no idea which way she came. She had gotten herself lost.

Overwhelmed with fear, Levy pulled her arms to her chest as she shivered and whimpered. The thing flooding through her mind was the thought of never seeing her parents, friends or even her teachers again. Because of that, she hadn't noticed the wet stones under her feet.

The next thing she knew, her vision was nothing but foamy water and the shadows of the trees. Her nose and throat burned as they filled with water. Levy thrashed her arms in the air, trying to grab hold of a branch, a stone, or anything else rooted to the ground. She couldn't keep her head above water for more than a few seconds, so she never got a good hold of anything. After a few moments, Levy's muscles started to ache, and her eyelids grew heavy. As she began to lose consciousness she felt something take hold of her tiny wrist.

Something hit Levy square in the back, hard and rough. The sensation jerked her eyes open and made her cough up the water trapped in her throat before she left the river. She fell to her hands and knees and panted when she heard a voice, "Welcome back Shorty." Levy looked up to see an older boy with shaggy hair, wearing ragged clothes and had strange metal studs on his face. He made a cocky smirk before receiving a forceful hit to the head.

"Stupid, Stupid Jerk!" Levy shouted as she hit the boy with the largest branch she could get a hold on. "That hurt!"

The boy took the branch in his hand and pulled it out of Levy's grip. He rubbed the bump on his head courtesy of the tiny girl before him, "This is what I get for saving your ass?" he snarled. "You're lucky I got ya out of there before ya drowned!"  
Levy's eyes widened. "How long have I been gone?" The boy shrugged, "I don't know, but you've been out for about thirty minutes."

Miss Irene would have come back from her meeting with Zera by now. Breathing frantically, Levy began to slowly pace and panic. "I have to get back to the palace, right now!" The boy rolled his eyes. 'Course this kid lives in a castle, he thought. He grabbed Levy's arm and dragged her behind him.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Levy screamed as she started to hit the boy again. Annoyed, he pulled to his side if nothing to stop her hitting him. "I'm taking ya back to the stupid palace," he answered. "Luckily, the river didn't take ya too far. We'll get there in about ten minutes." Levy didn't respond, but she also didn't strike him, something the boy saw as a plus.

Levy examined the boy's face; tanned skin, red eyes and the metal studs that outlined his nose and replaced his eyebrows. "I've never seen you before," she blankly stated, receiving a confused glance from her guide. "How do you know where the castle is?"  
"My dad's visiting the king for the day. I got bored, so I kinda wandered off," he explained. "Tracking's sorta my thing." Levy just became more curious. "Why is your dad visiting?" She giggled as the boy pouted in a manner that was almost cute. "Just some stupid political alliance. I'd rather not talk about it," he huffed.

Levy's attention changed course when she felt her wrist become wet and sticky. She turned her head and gasped, "Oh my gosh, you're bleeding!" The boy looked down to see a large gash on his right arm. It was bleeding heavily, but he didn't seem too fazed by it. "Must have got it during your rescue. I've gone through worse." Levy remained adamant. She tore off the hem of her dress and wrapped it around the boy's wound.

The boy was impressed. He had never met anyone that was so willing to destroy their clothes to help someone, especially not a stranger.

The vegetation started to thin out, the two of them being able to see the sun. "Look," Levy said pointing to a castle spire in the horizon. "We're almost there!" She slipped out of the boy's grip and ran towards it and the boy running after her demanding she slow down.

Levy gleefully giggled as if she was playing a game. That is until she found herself back in the courtyard before her frantic parents. Her mother and father ran towards her, locked their arms around her, and started to cry their eyes out. Shame bubbled up in Levy's stomach, "I'm sorry," she whimpered.

"Just never run off again," her mother said with tears running down her face and snot dripping from her nose. Levy nodded and tried to change the subject, anything to stop her parents' crying.

"I want you to meet my new friend," she turned around and saw the boy had disappeared. He never even told her his name. "We'll have to meet them another time, dear. Now we have to get you into some dry clothes," her father said with genuine concern for his daughter's health. As she and her parents walked back into the castle, Levy stared back at the brush curious about the fate of the boy who saved her life.

Gajeel stomped along the cobblestone path of the castle grounds, kicking at every untrimmed plant to relieve his frustrations. Idiot. Stupid, stupid, idiot. He thought, repeatedly hitting himself in the head. The second he saw Stephen and Joanne, he knew that little girl could only be Princess Levy. He should have known from the start. She was the right age, had the right hair color, and had the same honey brown eyes. Gajeel hightailed it before either of them noticed him. He didn't want to see them right now.  
It didn't take him long to reach his family's carriage, with attendants preparing the horses to leave. Gajeel stopped with he heard the thudding of his father's heavy boots against the stone path. "There you are Gajeel," His father said. "I've searched the entire castle grounds for you."

Gajeel didn't respond, merely leaning against the carriage. Metalicana sighed, "Well, something came up back home so we'll be leaving sooner than planned."

"That's a real shame," Gajeel's voice filled with sarcasm as he entered the carriage. Metalicana groaned as he followed his son inside and ordered the driver to take them home.

The two stayed quiet for some time. Gajeel hung his head out the window, angry and a bit nauseous. They were already halfway back to Sterling when Metalicana finally spoke, "Gajeel, I know you are not in favor of this alliance, but can you least try not to see it as a bad thing."

"Then what is it?" Gajeel asked. "You're friends with Magnolia's king and queen, both of our countries have plenty of income and have capable defenses. So, why do you have to marry me off to Stephen's daughter?" Of course, he had no distaste for Levy. She was a sweet, kind-hearted girl, but he still didn't feel like that was a reason to marry her. Metalicana just stared at his son, but Gajeel didn't see any anger in his eyes. There was something else, something Gajeel couldn't identify. Maybe concern and a bit of regret. "She'll be good for you, son. In ways, you haven't begun to imagine."


	3. Naptime

Thirteen years later

Levy woke up to the sound of gentle rapping at her bedroom door. "Princess Levy," someone called. "It's time for breakfast." Levy opened her eyes, seeing she had fallen asleep at her desk again. She was in her nightgown with her face laying on a book she was reading the night before.

Levy pushed her chair back and let out a long, loud yawn. After a few moments of stretching, she slipped out of her nightgown and put on her orange gown that she picked especially for today. Levy picked her book off her desk and headed out the hallway.  
"Happy Birthday Levy," she turned to see Droy and Jet behind her, dressed in their squire armor. Ever since that incident when she five, her father never left her alone. Not that she minded. Jet and Droy were her closest friends at the castle and enjoyed their company. "What'cha got there?" Droy asked, referring to Levy's book. "Oh, just a record of Sterling history," she answered. The castle had an entire section on Sterling as the kingdom had been in power for over a century and had quite a lengthy list of lore and history. Levy herself had only read half of the books so far.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the "alliance" with Sterling, would it?" Jet questioned. Levy's arranged marriage with Gajeel, the Sterling prince, was widely known, but the reason for it remained unclear. Not even Levy knew.  
"Well, they are going to be family soon," Levy replied. "So, it will be good to learn about them." Levy knew both Jet and Droy had strong feelings for her, so she couldn't tell them that she secretly looked forward to meeting her future husband. She heard plenty of rumors about Metalicana's reclusive son and wanted to see if he lived up to his name.

The conversation met its end when the three arrived in the dining hall. "Happy birthday dear," her parents chimed. Droy and Jet stood at the door as Levy took her seat next to her father. She sat her book in her lap as the servants placed her breakfast, a bowl of porridge heavily drizzled in honey, in front of her.

Her father raised his goblet, "A toast to our Levy and her eighteenth year." Levy and her mother followed him, clicking their cups together.

He makes it sound like such a miracle, Levy thought. Nobody told Levy about Acnologia's curse or her part in it. Such a thing seemed too heavy for her to bare.

As they continued with breakfast, Levy's parents began to discuss the ball for their daughter's birthday and finally mark the end of the curse. Levy took her book off her lap and read where she left off the previous night. "Will anyone from Sterling be there?" she asked after swallowing a spoonful of porridge. Levy had asked that question many times over the years, but despite her parents' close friendship with Metalicana Levy had yet to meet Sterling's king himself.

Her father shrugged, "We sent an invitation, but they haven't visited in years."

Joanne saw the disappointment in her daughter's face and quickly changed the subject. "Levy, how about I help you with your dress fitting after breakfast?" A smile appeared on Levy's face, "I'd love that, Mom." After the three finished breakfast, Stephen left for his study while Joanne took their daughter to her bedchamber. As her parent said goodbye for the moment, rocks began to settle in Levy's stomach.

Levy stood perfectly still as her mother helped her chambermaid, Laki, adjust Levy's uncomfortable corset. It felt like her stomach and chest were slowly being crushed. It became harder to breathe ounce she put on her thick, confining petticoats. Although her body was stiff, Levy raised her arms above her head as Laki and Joanne slipped a long, white gown over her.

As Laki tighten the bodice, Levy stared into her mirror. Her corset pushed up her small bust, which hindered Levy's ability to breath. It also exaggerated her already wide hips. Levy loved the beautiful, flowing dress but she felt like a child wearing it. She had inherited her mother's small stature and was several inches shorter than Joanne herself. With a skirt with a hem that pooled at feet and sleeves that passed her fingertips, she looked like a little girl playing dress up.

Joanne noticed Levy's stoic expression, "Is there something wrong dear?"

Levy smiled and shook her head. She didn't like lying to her mother, but such a thing seemed too childish to concern. Aside from Jet and Droy, nobody showed romantic interest in her. Nobody ever called beautiful or even pretty, just adorable. Adorable like a giggling school girl rolling in the grass. That was the way people saw her, as a child in need of protection.

A servant came in, causing Levy to break away from her thoughts. "Your Majesty," referring to Joanne. "Your husband has requested your assistance.

All three women gave a puzzled expression. "For what reason?" Joanne asked. The servant shook his head, "He didn't say, but it's an emergency," he stated as he began to drag her out of the room. "Laki, please keep Levy company while I'm away," Joanne instructed the chambermaid. Laki bowed, accepting her assignment.

"You can sit down now princess," she told Levy when her mother was out of the room. "The dress won't get wrinkled too badly." Levy stepped off the pedestal and laid down on her bed as she sighed.

Laki opened a chest by Levy's wardrobe and took out a small black box wrapped in a white ribbon. "This is a birthday present from the entire staff," she handed it to Levy with a smile, urging her to open it. Levy undid the ribbon and opened the box to see the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen.

It was a velvet choker, black as dusk and soft against her fingers. At the center hung a small bronze bauble engraved with Magnolia's crest, a fairy with a tail. It was simple but expensive.

"It's gorgeous, but I can't accept this," Levy said trying to return the necklace. The palace staff had more important things to spend their money on than a present for her birthday. Having them by her side was all she needed. "It's fine," Laki replied, "We all been saving for years to buy this present. We want to give it to you." She took the choker and hooked it around Levy's neck. Levy looked in the mirror again. The necklace clashed with her extravagant gown, but she loved it.

Before she could show her thanks to Laki, something crashed out in the halls and startled to two young women. "Oh no, a stray cat must have gotten in," Laki said before rushing to the door. As she opened the door, Laki turned to the princess, "I'll be right back," she said as if the maid expected Levy to vanish if she turned her back.

Levy turned to her side and sighed. Before she could drift off, Levy heard the chiming of tiny bells outside her door. The princess opened her door and found a strange, red thread by her feet. Levy picked it up and raised her brow. How peculiar? She thought to herself. The thread led down the hall and around the corner. Curious, Levy left her room and followed the thin line of red on the floor. It didn't take her long to arrive in front of a door to the west tower that had a scraping, whirling sound echoing down the stairs.

Laki scurried across the hall, stopping for a moment to clean up a broken vase. "Here kitty," she called as she clicked her tongue, "Here, kitty kitty kitty." Laki was searching under a table when she heard a voice, "Laki, what are you doing?" She followed with hitting her head against the table. Laki crawled out and found Jet and Droy standing before her.

"I'd inquire the same thing of the two of you," Laki said pulling herself up and rubbing her head. Jet shrugged, "We heard a crash and came to investigate."

"I heard it as well. I thought a stray cat had gotten in and I went after it." Droy scrunched up his face in confusion, "Where's Levy?"

"She's in her chamber," Laki answered. "I told her I'd be right ba-," she stopped herself mid-thought and smacked herself on the forehead. Laki had known Levy almost as long as Jet and Droy and knew the princess's level of curiosity meant she couldn't be alone for a second.

The sound of scraping, whirling wood filled the room. "Is that a spinning wheel?" Laki asked, her voice filled with fear. "It can't be," Droy said. "No one in Magnolia has used a spinning wheel in years." The same thought then appeared in their minds.  
On her eighteenth birthday, she'll prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel, and she'll see her entire wretched kingdom take its last breath.

"We have to find Levy! Now!" Jet demanded. The other two nodded in agreement. "It's coming from that direction," Laki said pointing towards the west tower before running towards it with Jet and Droy right behind her.

As Levy walked up the stairs to the tower, her thoughts went back to Laki. If Laki came back to find Levy's chamber empty, panic would quickly spread throughout the castle. However, Levy assured herself that she wouldn't be gone for more than a few moments, just long enough to see what was at the end of the mysterious thread.

Levy opened the door and found something strange in the ordinarily empty room. In the center of the room was an old, creeky spinning wheel with a basket beneath filled with spools of variously colored thread. She inched closer, having just read books about the device rather than seeing one herself.

She sat down on a tiny stool and took another good look at the contraption before her. It was like it was made for her. Levy gently pressed her foot against the pedal and watched as a string of orange thread sprung from under the creaking wheel. Amazed, she pushed the lever again. This time, with a strand of golden sunshine. After a few more times at the wheel and several different colors, Levy noticed that the wheel's spindle was bare.  
Her curiosity took over as she stood up to further inspect it. Familiar voices brought her back to reality.

"Princess!"

"Levy!"

"Whatever you do, don't touch anything!"

Laki, Droy, and Jet were behind her, their footsteps echoing throughout the stairwell as they raced up the tower's many steps. Startled, Levy forgot what she was doing and, without meaning to, brushed her fingers against the spindle's point. "Ow!" Levy clutched fingers, three of them bleeding. Outside the door, the sound of bodies falling to the floor brought back her attention. Levy's heart pounded as she crept closer to the door. When she pulled it open, Levy found Jet, Droy, and Laki laying on the stairs, asleep and snoring away.

Levy gasped and rushed towards her friends. "Jet!" She turned him onto his back, grabbed him by his shoulders, and started to shake his body gently. "Wake up! Wake up!" Jet continued to snore, along with Droy and Laki.  
Terrified, Levy ran down the stairs, with her stomach clenching. "Someone help! Please!" she called out as her eyes started to tear up and her heart about to jump out of her chest. When she entered the hall, Levy rushed to find help, but every room was either empty or everyone in it was fast asleep.

Levy entered the courtyard and fell to her knees. Tears flowed down her face as her thoughts went to her parents. She couldn't stand to see her mother and father in the same state as her friends.  
"Princess, thank goodness you're okay." Levy lifted head as she heard the voice. Someone else was awake!

Levy turned her head and smiled at the sight of the adorable face and wavy, blonde hair of Mavis Vermillion. Overjoyed, Levy wrapped her arms around her teacher with her tears now filled with joy. "Mavis, I'm so happy you're safe," Levy pulled herself away as Mavis stared back in her usual stoic expression. "Something's wrong. Everyone's asleep," Levy explained.

"I know," Mavis took off her satchel and placed it over the princess's shoulder. "Levy, I need you to listen very carefully," Mavis demanded, earning Levy's attention. "I need you to go to Flare. I can't explain, but the satchel should have everything you need."

The sound of explosions interrupted their conversation. As the racket died down, the two women could hear men yelling something about the princess. Mavis stood in front of Levy, straight and tall. "You have to go. Now!"

Levy was terrified. She didn't want to abandon Mavis, her parents, or any of her friends but she already knew their "guests" were monsters in the skins of men. And they were after her.

"It will be fine, Levy," Mavis assured her student with a rare smile as if reading Levy's thoughts. "Zera, Irene, and Anna are still awake. We'll protect Magnolia. But you need to get to Flare now!"

Levy sensed the urgency in Mavis's voice and nodded in agreement. She raced into the forest, attempting not to cry when she heard Mavis unleash her magic. Deep down, Levy knew she would be fine though. Mavis was one of the strongest fairies after all.

The princess ran as quickly and as far as her legs could carry her. Snaggled roots tore at her gown and drops of sweat beaded down her skin. Dirt flung against her face and leaves and twigs tangled up in her hair. She tripped on a rock on a few occasions, getting a few small scrapes. After running who-knew-how-far, Levy stopped to rest against a large oak. She breathing was thick and heavy, so much that she nearly choked when an arrow shot by just centimeters from her nose.

"I found someone," she heard a man cackle. "And she looks like a good payday," chuckling in a way that made Levy sick. More men appeared from the shadow and began to fire more arrows and tried to capture her in large nets. Luckily, Levy reflexes kicked in time for the nets to miss her and the arrows give her a few light scratches.

Levy lifted her fingers and scribbled the first word she could think of in the air.

"Solid Script: Shine!" She kept her eyes closed as she finished the spell. However, the cries of pain she heard from her pursuers implied they didn't do the same.

A group of thugs leaped out from behind a bush, hoping to take the girl by surprise. Unfortunately for them, they were fast enough. "Solid Script: Snow!" A giant mound of thick, white powder buried the robbers and rendered them unable to move.  
Another squadron surrounded Levy and was ready to throw more fishing nets on top of her. Levy sighed, these goons didn't learn their lesson, did they. "Solid Script: Fire!" The nets burst into flames and crumbled to ash. Her attackers were also caught in Levy's spell, yowling in pain and rolling around in the dirt to smother the fire.

Levy took her chance and ran as far as she could from those lunatics. After what felt like hours, Levy reached a small peaceful grove filled with wildflowers and had a small river that filled the area with the calming sound of flowing water. There were no signs of thugs or mercenaries, allowing Levy to take a sigh of relief. She fell against a boulder and closed her eyes, being next to exhausted.

The only sounds she could hear were the rushing water and her heavy breathing. Maybe I should take a nap Levy thought to herself. I still have quite the way to go.

She started to drift off until she felt a hand cover her mouth and an arm pull her roughly into someone's chest. Levy's eyes shot open and her stomach churned. She flailed her arms and legs, trying to hit anything or even loosen the grip. The massive, calloused hand over her mouth made screaming useless, all of Levy barely resulted in a whimper.

"Now listen carefully, Shorty" it was a man with a deep, raspy voice that made Levy shiver. Levy couldn't turn her head to see her new adversary, his tight hold on her made sure of that. She heard him make an odd chuckling sound as if her struggle was amusing to him. "If you want to make it out of here alive, then you're gonna do exactly as I say."


	4. Escape

Levy continued to squirm in the man's hold, terrified by his words. She violently flailed her legs and scratched her capturer's muscular arms, neither having much effect. "You know, this will be a lot easier if you stop squirming," Levy heard the man say. Making it easy for him was the last thing the princess wanted to do. As a last resort, she pulled her head back and slammed it against his face.

It was more effective than she anticipated. The man released her as he put pressure to his nose and vigorously cursed. "Wha' da fuck!" was all he could get out. The man heard someone drawing a sword. When he opened his eyes, he was amused by what he was witnessing.

Levy used her magic to create a falchion and copied the battle stance she had seen from Jet and Droy's training sessions, her legs braced apart and her body low to the ground.

She now got a decent look at her capturer. He wore a black mask that completely covered his face, only revealing his blood red eyes. His hair was as black as a shadow and reached the small of his back. It was thick and wild like no one brushed in weeks. The man's clothes were old and ratty. The colors were dark, perfect for blending in with the shadows of the forest. However, Levy was able to make out the symbol on his vest. It was the shape of a phantom.

"Phantom Lord." Levy had heard plenty about Phantom Lord from weary travelers and merchants that stopped by Magnolia. They were a large group of bandits, at least five hundred of them the last time Levy heard. The members were known to be incredibly vicious in performing their so-called work. One would be lucky to leave the encounter alive with the clothes on their back.

A "Gihihi" escaped the man's lips, amused that such a naive girl would so aware of her situation. "Since you know what you're dealing with, I recommend you put down the butter knife. No one has ever lasted long against Black Steel."  
Levy tried not to let her fear show. Black Steel was said to be one of Phantom Lord's deadliest combatants. "I'm not afraid of you!" she lied with all the confidence she could muster. Black Steel let out another laugh, stronger and louder than the last one. "Relax," his tone was calm, throwing Levy off, "I'm not gonna fight you, shorty."

The princess's face turned red with anger. "I am not short!" She yelled, slamming her sword into the ground. " 'Course you are," Black chuckled, amused by how easily he could get under the girl's skin. "Aside from kids, you're the tiniest person I've ever seen. You could fit in my pocket."

She had enough of this man. Levy tried to pull her falchion out of the earth, but it was too heavy and wedged in too deep. Black Steel shook his head, pulled out Levy's sword and balanced it over his shoulder. "Here's the thing, Shorty. I don't want to hurt someone who has very clearly never been in a fight, but the other Phantoms aren't as friendly."

Levy pouted. She knew he was right, at least about her fighting experience, but wasn't ready to admit that to him. Before she knew it, Black Steel had flung her over his shoulder. "What are you doing?!" Levy screamed, flailing her legs and pounding her small fist against his back. "Put me down this instant!" Black Steel did as she asked and placed her near an old, moss-covered oak tree.

"Here ya are, Shrimp," his voice contained. "This is your new home, 'least until I can get those idiots off your tail." Levy raised her brow, "You honestly think those guys won't find me up in a tree?" They did jump out of the treetops in an attempt to ambush her.  
Black Steel walked toward the trunk and pulled back the moss, revealing the tree's hollow interior. "Huh," was all Levy could say. Levy crawled into the tree and sat down with her handbag at her side. The hollow trunk was small, but she still had some room to stretch. "I'll be back at dusk," Black Steel said. "The jerks will all be passed out drunk by then."

"Are you sure no one will find me here?" Levy didn't want to take any chances, especially with people as dangerous and relentless as Phantom Lord. "Nobody knows 'bout this tree except the two of us," the man assured. "You're perfectly safe."

As he was about to let go of the curtain of moss, another question popped into Levy's head. "Why are you helping me?" Black Steel didn't know her and had more to gain from bringing her back to his camp to hold her for ransom, or sell her off or any other God only knew what terrible thing they could think up. He chuckled again like it was obvious. "I do what I want to."

Phantom Lord set up camp in the thickest, darkest part of the forest where no one else would be foolish enough to enter. Worn, dirty tents were scattered across the base. A few even collapsed, luckily with no one inside. Most of the members were sitting on crates, drowning themselves in ale after their failure to capture Levy, as Black Steel predicted.

"Man, that little princess would have gotten us enough money to last us two whole years," one man complained as he chugged his bottle.  
"You sure that was the princess?" another questioned.

He received a smack in the head, "It had to be, dummy. She's the only one that would still be awake after the curse."

"What about the fairies and wizards?"

"They have no country! The curse only works on residents of Magnolia, dumb ass!"

The argument was cut off by an empty barrel being flung towards them. The man jumped out of the way at the last second. The barrel smashed into a tree, rendered nothing more than a pile of kindling. "Would you idiots just shut up already!"

Black Steel walked into the camp, gnawing on Levy's sword. The other Phantoms stayed out of his way; they didn't wish to anger a man with teeth sharp enough to tear apart steel and could eat it without tearing his stomach apart. The two men skittered away like dogs with their tails between their legs as Black Steel took a bottle for himself and sat with his thoughts. Getting Levy out from under Phantom Lord's nose would be risky. The master was not one to double cross, primarily when there was money involved. Why did I even join these idiots? He thought although he already knew the answer. Black Steel wanted to get under his damn father's skin.

Suddenly, he felt a chill run through his body. It curdled his blood and curled his toes. Only one person had that effect on Black Steel.

He raised his head to find a man standing before him; Master Jose Porla. He was a tall, thin man in a dark cloak resembling the wings of a bat. The brim of pointed hat completely hide his face, but Black Steel could still see his master's cold, dark eyes. The kind of eyes that would chase away a starving wolf.

"How did things go for you?" Jose finally asked. His voice was cold and sickening. Black Steel shrugged, "Lost her somewhere deep in the woods," he kept a neutral expression. "Probably inside a bear's stomach by now."

Jose clicked his tongue, "Such a shame. She was very valuable. A lovely creature as I heard." Black Steel had to keep himself from hacking up the half bottle of ale residing in his stomach. He pushed himself off the ground and headed to his tent on the other side of the camp, "I'm hittin' the hay early. Wake me up when something happens."

As Black Steel faded from view, Jose's essence began to darken. He's hiding something, Jose's snarled in his head. He blew a whistle from his thin lips, signaling one of his best men. The man was deathly thin with wild green hair and wore a clean suit, in much better condition than the clothes of any other bandit in the group. However, he seemed to lack a sense of balance, his body swaying back and forth.

"Oui, Maister Jose," the man said in a thick accent. "Sol, my good man. I want you to keep an eye on Black Steel. If he leaves camp tonight I want you to tail him," Sol nodded, then Jose added something else. "Take Aria and Totomaru with you. You'll need the muscle if Black Steel gets a little... Out of hand." Again, Sol nodded but was a bit shocked by the order.

Black Steel was a powerful man and fighter. He was the entire reason the group had thrived after their coworker, Juvia, vanished from her tent. But Jose had the right idea. No one had ever seen Black Steel's face or knew his name. If they couldn't trust Black Steel, then he needed to be eliminated. Sol saluted and took his leave.

By sunset, everyone in the base was fast asleep and snoring to their heart's content. Meaning Black Steel had the chance to sneak out.

He grabbed the bare necessities; some spare clothes, a week's worth of rations and his stash of money he saved for just an occasion. Black Steel shoved it in a sack and rushed out as quietly as possible. He didn't want to wake anybody and get caught. After all, very few people left Phantom Lord and lived to tell the tale.

Black Steel got past the border when he heard a series of hollers not too far away. Curious, he followed the sound and was pleasantly surprised by the view before him.

One of the net traps that circled the grounds had caught some spies for him. The net swayed to the weight of three men, Sol among them and partially crushed. The largest of them shredding rivers of tears down his cheeks and blubbering "So sad," over and over.

"Aria would you shut up!" The man shouting was of eastern origin. His hair was black with a white fringe and had a scar across his nose. This man had witnessed Aria's previous displays of being over-sentimental, and it was enough to wane anyone's patience.  
Black Steel let out a laugh; he really picked a good time to leave. "Having fun up there, Toromaru?" he smiled as the three former allies called him a variety of names; with traitor being the best of them.

Something on the ground caught Black Steel's eye. He bent down and picked up a small bag of coins and plenty of them from the jingling inside. "Thanks, this should get me by an extra week," Black Steel chuckled again, not attempting to hide his amusement of the men's dismay. He quickly headed off in Levy's direction, leaving behind three grown men, squirming in the net like desperate prey, and what he could easily define as his biggest regret.

It didn't take Black Steel long to find the meadow again. And even less time to spot Levy's hiding place. A light glow emanated from a mossy tree ahead. He came up and gently knocked on the trunk, he didn't want to scare her and repeat the events of that morning.

Levy's popped out of the curtain of moss. "Oh good, you're here," she crawled out of the tree with a small ball of light beside her. Black Steel took hold of the glowing orb, much to Levy's annoyance. It could easily fit into the palm of his hand and felt cool against his skin. "You might not wanna bring this along," he handed it back to Levy. "It attracts too much attention towards you."

Levy puffed out her cheek, "Then how am I suppose to get to Flare?" Black Steel took her hand and smiled when she started to blush. "I'm taking you there of course. Someone's gotta keep an eye on you."

By morning, the two reached a small watering hole. Black Steel stopped, keeping his hold on Levy. "You better clean up," he handed Levy a shirt from his bag. It so big compared to her petite figure, it could easily pass as a dress till they could get her some new clothes in the next town. "You'll be harder to recognize without the fancy dress and necklace."

Levy pouted and headed into the water. "I'll leave the dress, but I am keeping the necklace," Levy demanded as she began to shred her garments. Black Steel averted his glaze causing Levy to smile as she imagined his face turning red. That prompted another thought popped into her head.

"Are you gonna take off that mask?" she asked as scrubbed as much filth from her skin. "You'll look less suspicious without it." Levy didn't hear a response as she left the water and put on the shirt. Black Steel still had his back turned, with his vest and mask on the ground. "You gotta promise not to freak out," he said somberly, still facing away from her. Levy responded, "Okay," although she did not fully understand.

Black Steel turned to face Levy and was indeed surprised by what she saw. His face was sharp and rugged, and Levy got a better look at his eyes. They were narrow and reptilian, giving off an intimidating aura. The most surprising thing was the metal studs that decorated his face and ears. His face was a bit frightening, but Levy couldn't help but smile.

That had been the last reaction Black Steel expected. "What are you smiling for? Normally, people run away when they see my face." Levy giggled as she placed her satchel back across her body, "You remind me of someone I knew." She began skipping along the trail with Black Steel behind her. Another question popped into Levy's head. "What's your real name? You're gonna need to use it now you're not in Phantom Lord anymore."

Black Gajeel thought very carefully about his impending response. He couldn't reveal his identity to this girl, not yet. It wasn't surprising she failed to recognize his face. After all, it had been over a decade; his hair was longer, his face was now more angular, he had gained a considerable amount of muscle and had receive many more studs since that time. Finally Black Steel had his answer. "You can just call me Kurogane."


	5. Journey

It took longer for the two of them to reach the next town, Haregon, then either of them expected. The pair was forced to go by foot without a carriage or even a horse. Levy's shoes did not help the matter since they were not made for walking long distances. Her feet were so covered in blisters and scrapes, Kurogane was forced to carry her on his back.

"When will we be arriving in Flare?" Levy asked impatiently. Kurogane scanned the area. He had been to Haregon plenty of times before so he estimated they would arrive in town before sunset. "Haregon's right between Magnolia and Flare. On foot, we'll be there in about two days. Why are you such a hurry to get there anyway?"

Levy took a deep breath and then answered, "It's a long story, but I need to speak with Natsu." Kurogane stopped. He had heard Natsu had recently become king after Igneel fell ill and died, but people didn't usually seek his help unless they were desperate. For a good reason, too. If his sources were right, Natsu was still the same hot-headed wildcard of an idiot he was when they were kids. He had grown to be a powerful fighter but would leave plenty of destruction when he was done.

Kurogane lowered Levy to the ground allowing her to lean against an elm tree. He sat down next to her, "You can explain it. We got time."

Levy pulled out a book from her satchel. It was old, worn down and so thick it had to weigh at least five pounds. Kurogane got glimpses of the pages while Levy searched for the page she needed. "The curse only ends when Acnologia leaves this world. According to my teachers' studies, the only thing powerful enough to kill a dragon is another dragon."

Kurogane was confused. The entire reason that Acnologia was so terrifying was that he was the only dragon in the world. He killed every other dragon himself. "I don't see how that is gonna help anyone," Kurogane questioned.

Levy showed him a very peculiar part of the book. The pages contained drawings of a dragon and a person, but they weren't separate. Something about the illustration made it look like the dragon was turning into a human.

Kurogane could not read the scripture, so Levy explained, "One of my teachers, Irene, believes that a small number of dragons survived by taking the form of humans." She saw her companion's eyes widen with shock, a very understandable reaction. The idea that dragons could be walking among humans without their knowledge was both incredible and concerning.

"So you're saying that idiot is actually a dragon!" Levy shook her head, "In a way. Irene's theory is centered on his father, Igneel. But since he's dead, Natsu should be the next best thing." Levy's face remained saddened, gaining Kurogane's concern.

"But one isn't enough," Levy continued, sensing the tension in the air. "All of my teachers have theorized that it would take seven dragons to kill that monster," she then buried her head between her knees.

Kurogane cursed. It had taken Levy's four teachers, all with highly advanced magical abilities, eighteen years to confirm a single human dragon. Now they had to find six more, all before the kingdom starved.

Nevertheless, Kurogane pulled himself up and gently tapped Levy's side. "Come on, Shrimp," Levy lifted her head revealing her reddened eyes from her silent tears, "We got a lot to do and sitting on our asses isn't gonna do us any good."

Levy knew Kurogane was right. As she got up, the sound of a crash came out not too far ahead. Kurogane was the first to respond, "What the hell?" The pair rushed towards the sound, leading them to the path. In the middle of the road was a small wagon collapsed due to a broken back wheel. The driver, a tall brunette woman, was busy trying to calm down her large, white stallion, who was thrashing its legs up and down in terror.

"Ma'am, are you okay," Levy called out as she ran towards the woman. The woman turned to face Levy, having finally calmed her horse, "Well, my ride's busted and I got a busted keg in the back, but I'm still alive, so I'd say we're okay," she patted her horse on the snout. "Ain't that right Bruno," her horse neighed in agreement.

Levy couldn't help but stare at the woman in front of her. She had to be the tallest woman Levy had ever seen. Granted, every woman Levy met made her look like a china doll by comparison, but this woman was like a goddess, standing six feet tall. She wore extravagant, flowing robes that emphasized her midriff and large buxom. Her brown hair was worn down her back in long, glorious waves. It was just perfect, another woman that made Levy look like a little girl.

The woman's sultry voice broke Levy away from her thoughts, "So what are two doing in the woods anyway?" Levy turned to see Kurogane had left the green and leaned against the trunk of a tree. Her face turned beet red as Levy considered what the woman before her saw in the situation. She understood how scandalous it seemed to be alone with a young man that wasn't her husband.

"Ah... I.. It's kind of a long story," Levy stammered. "The important thing is we need to get to the royal palace in Flare." The woman laughed wholeheartedly, hugging her stomach and almost falling on her face. Levy and Kurogane just scrunched up their faces, not understanding what this woman found so funny.

After catching her breath, the woman brushed a tear off her eye and said, "It's just such a funny coincidence. I'm headed to Flare for a job at the palace." She turned her wagon and groaned, "At least I was."

Levy smiled. "Oh, don't worry," she assured. "I can fix that in a second." The woman raised her eyebrow as Levy asked Kurogane to hold up the wagon, to which he begrudgingly agreed. Levy raised her hand and began to scribble in the air. In no time, the shattered pieces of the wheel melded back together. Levy took the newly reformed wheel and attached it to the axle while the woman looked more than a little impressed.

"So, people weren't kidding when they said you could perform magic." Levy's eyes widened and her mouth dropped in shock. How did this woman know who she was? Kurogane helped make sure she wasn't recognized.  
The woman's lips curved into a teasing smile as she tapped at her collarbone "Necklace is kinda a giveaway."

Kurogane smirked as he held out his hand in front of the little princess. Levy rolled her eyes as she unhooked her choker. "Just don't lose it," she demanded as she placed her necklace in Kurogane's large, rough hand. "It was a gift," Levy added while crossing her arms and puffing out her cheek.

The woman let out another boisterous laugh, then held out her hand, "Cana Alberona, fortune teller." Levy shook her hand but didn't bother introducing herself as Cana had easily deduced her identity.

"So," Cana continued with a teasing smile. "Are you going to introduce me to your boyfriend or what?" Levy screeched as her face turned bright red. She couldn't get a single word out, but luckily Kurogane hadn't lost his voice. "We're not courting. I'm her escort." Cana smiled wickedly, "Oh, I see," then held back a chuckle. "Not like that you pervert!" He hollered before climbing into the back of the wagon.

Another hardy laugh left Cana's mouth, "I like the two of you already." She wrapped her arm around Levy and pulled her to the front of the wagon and placed her on the driver's seat. "You're sitting with me, doll," Cana proclaimed as she sat down by the petite princess. Before Levy could decline, Cana took the reigns and had Brutus race them off the trail.

Kurogane regretted climbing into the back of that woman's wagon. It was packed with large barrels of liquor and some were not the best quality judging from the smell. Kurogane could barely move even a finger and Cana's manic driving hadn't helped matters. His stomach clenched and the only feeling the remained was his desire not to throw up.

The blasted vehicle finally stopped after the most excruciating two hours of his life. Kurogane didn't hesitate exiting the vehicle and was confused by their stop.

The wagon was parked in front of a small tailor shop painted in a bright, headache-inducing pink and flowers bordering the building. Cana leaned next to the door with a satisfied grin plastered across her face.

Kurogane groaned, "Oi! Where's Levy? What did you do, you-" Cana had thrown a piece of dark cloth in his face before he could finish. "Man, could you keep your voice down?" Cana whispered, "I thought this thing was supposed to be discrete."

As he pulled the fabric off his face, the first thing he saw was Cana displaying a smug expression, like she was playing a prank on him.

"Relax. Levy's inside finishing up a fitting. We can't have her walking around in that ratty old shirt of yours." Kurogane raised a studded brow. With all those barrels in the back of her wagon, there was very little chance she could afford personally fitted clothes for Levy. He tapped against his belt and noticed something was missing.

Kurogane snarled, "Did you rob me?!" Despite his loud, booming voice that would cause most people to run away in terror, Cana remained calm and tossed the sack of coins back to Kurogane. "I won't deny. It was more expensive than I accounted for, but you should still have plenty for other things," she said as if that would make up for pocketing his money while he was passed out in her stupid wagon.

Cana slapped her hand against his back, an action that was rough for even a sturdy man like himself. "Lighten up, will ya," she laugh before switching to a mischievous grin. "Besides, this is as much a present for you as it is for her."

Before Kurogane could figure out what Cana was talking about, he heard the front door creak open. He turned and covered his face when he saw Levy, sure that it was bright red. Her shirt was a sunshine yellow with a hem that flowed liked flower petals. The vest she wore fit nicely and didn't attempt to hide her chest. White trousers showed off her toned legs that were typically hidden by a long skirt.

Without thinking, Kurogane rushed back to the wagon. Levy was confused by this reaction, "Did I do something wrong?" Cana shook her head, "Nah, it just seems like he's never seen a pretty girl before."


	6. Reveal

The hell's wrong with me! That thought echoed throughout Kurogane's head. He almost didn't want to reach Flare and face Levy after he acted like a stupid kid who had never seen a woman before.

Kurogane buried his head between his knees and felt like screaming his head off. He slammed his fist into a nearby barrel. Luckily it was empty and didn't leak out any of Cana's cheap ass liquor. Bet Dad will love this, Kurogane thought. The irony was hard to deny. The girl he had been running away from for years had just moments ago turned him into a pathetic bundle of nerves.

Levy turned her head towards the front opening, but Kurogane made sure to close it off when he got in. She was genuinely surprised by his reaction. Levy had only known the man for a day, but he seemed like an indestructible force of nature. However, she wouldn't deny that she liked his reaction, just a little.

"Something on your mind, Doll," Cana pulled Levy away from her current thought. Levy blushed and shook her head, "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just going over my meeting with Natsu in my head."

Cana, of course, could tell that was not the case. She wouldn't deny that this Kurogane character was an attractive young man or that Levy was so pretty and adorable she could be a real-life fairy. It was clear they were physically attracted to one another, but the two didn't seem experienced in this sort of thing. She would have to help them out with that, but Cana would get to that later.

"Knowing Natsu, if it involves a good fight he'll be all over it," Cana's remark made Levy smile. "Thanks, but with what's up ahead I'm gonna need a lot more help. Hopefully, his wife Lucy has some useful information in her library."

Levy was delighted at the thought of seeing Lucy after so long. Levy and Lucy were very close as children but after Lucy's mother fell ill and died her father moved them to another estate far from Magnolia. After that, Levy was lonely when she wasn't with Jet and Droy as she didn't have many friends. Her heart was racing with anticipation.

***

At some point, Levy drifted off to sleep. It was a very peaceful time; she didn't have any dreams, just a simple rest for her weary eyes. Out of nowhere, Levy jolted her eyes open at a sudden stop. "What?" her voice was groggy, still being half asleep.  
"We're here!" Cana announced. Her carriage was parked in front of a glorious castle. It was pure, snowy white that emitted a soft glow with at least a half dozen towers around the premise each proudly displaying a bright red and orange flag.

"Yippee," Kurogane said dryly as he climbed out the back. As he walked, his footsteps would make a soft, squishing sound and an irritated looked was plastered across his face. Levy also noticed Kurogane reeked with the stench of alcohol.

"Crap! When did another one of my barrels bust open?!" Kurogane scowled, annoyed that Cana was more concerned with her crappy liquor than the possibility of him cracking his skull open. "You honestly didn't hear the thing crash against my head five seconds ago?" Fortunately, their argument didn't last long.

Levy heard someone call her name. She turned her head and was hugged by a tall, blonde woman. Levy instantly recognized her old friend and hugged her back, although Lucy's large chest nearly suffocated her.

Soon, a man joined in on the hug session. He was behind her, so Levy was unable to see his face. The only hint she got was the fact he smelled like a campfire. After a few moments, they all separated which allowed Levy to see the wide, silly grin of her old friend. Natsu playfully ruffled Levy's cornflower locks, "It's good seeing you again." His smile quickly turned into a sour grimace.

Natsu, with his lower face covered up by his scarf, turned to Kurogane and said, "Man, you stink." Kurogane growled, unamused by the comment.

Lucy clapped her hands, and out of nowhere, a pink-haired servant girl appeared wearing a stoic expression. "Virgo, I need you to draw a bath for this gentleman," Lucy instructed the girl. Virgo nodded and hooked her arm around Kurogane's. "Get his measurements as well," Lucy added. "We'll need Capricorn to make him some new clothes. His current attire seems less than salvageable." She and Levy began to pinch their noses and Kurogane couldn't blame them. The smell made even him want to burn his gear then and there.

"Of course, mistress," Virgo replied, her face still blank. She dragged Kurogane into the palace, ignoring his terrified expression and him mouthing the words "Help me" to the others.

Natsu just chuckled, as if the sight of a man like Kurogane powerless against a woman half his size was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. He turned to his wife and gently patted her head. "You two have fun. Right now, I need Madame Alberona for a second."  
Cana roughly slapped Natsu on the back, "No need for formalities. Just call me Cana." Natsu nodded, still winded from her hand colliding with his back, and lead the way as Cana followed with a barrel under her arm.

After the two had left, Lucy returned to hugging Levy as tightly as she could. Levy could hear her friend sobbing lightly and felt the tears rolling down her face. She smiled as she hugged back. Her eyes teared up as Levy embraced her oldest friend.

***

After being apart for so many years, Lucy gave Levy a fully detailed tour of the castle. She knew Levy would not be there very long, so she wanted to savor as much time as she could.

Lucy showed her the castle's kitchen, which was just brimming with the intoxicating aromas from tonight's dinner, and the bathhouse, filled with warm, bubbly water and flowery perfumes. Suddenly, Levy's eyes were covered by a long cloth tied around her head, "Lu? What are you doing?"

"Relax Levy, I saved the best part for last," Lucy giggled as she gently pulled her friend in the right direction. Levy heard a long, low creaking before the blindfold fell off her head.

All Levy could do was drop her jaw as tears formed from her eyes. She and Lucy were standing in the biggest library Levy had ever seen. The Magnolia royal library was extensive, big enough to house the town square, but Lucy's library just seemed so magical. The room was equally full as Levy's library but rose up to five stories with a series of swirling stairs. The sun shone through the room's many windows and made the marble floor and walls glisten. Levy squealed with joy as she wrapped her arms around Lucy, who herself was tearing up after seeing Levy so happy.

After nearly two hours, Levy had quickly read at least half the library's inventory, mostly on dragons and ancient forms of magic. As the princess was nearing the end of the last volume of dragon lore, Lucy noticed something strange.

Levy didn't show any enthusiasm while going through the books. Whether it was a thrilling adventure story or a detailed essay of a foreign land, Levy would always be beaming with excitement and whimsy. The young girl in front of Lucy simply stared blankly at the pages, absorbing the content before moving forward. The sight gave Lucy an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"They knew, didn't they?"

The words almost made Lucy choke. She turned to Levy, who had finished the book in front of her but continued to stare at the ground. "What?" Lucy said, barely a whisper.

"Everyone else knew about the curse, didn't they? How else would Phantom Lord be able to lay siege so quickly?"

Lucy felt her heart sank. There was no doubt that Levy would have put two and two together, being the bright girl she was. Lucy placed her hand on Levy's back. As her friend became more distraught, almost on the verge of crying, Lucy stroked Levy's back in small circular movements. "I'm sorry, Levy," Lucy began. "They didn't want you to have your childhood to be tainted by that burden." If Lucy had been there with Levy, she probably would have done the same thing.

Tears started to fall down Levy's face. Lucy couldn't tell if they were from anger or sadness until Levy showed her face, displaying a scowl. "I am not a child anymore," she said, her voice was quiet yet still held a lot of anger. "I don't want protection and I don't need it."

She couldn't argue with her friend. Levy had not been a child in a long time and was a rather precocious one. She would have found a way to handle it. "I'm sorry, Levy. I promise we'll do anything we can to help." Levy's scowl flipped into a smile and pulled her friend into a hug. "Thank you, Lucy. With that, finding at least one dragon shouldn't be too hard."

Lucy paused for a moment, "It's funny that you mentioned that." She went on to explain a strange occurrence from not too long ago.

A few weeks ago, a young girl had stopped by the town. Many villagers had claimed that she had performed several acts of miraculous healing. Lucy had never seen them herself, but she had no reason to doubt the heavy word of her new subjects or the royal guards.

"Could that be a lead?" Dragons were very mysterious creatures, with very few knowing their full potential. But according to the sources, such feats were beyond that of any ordinary wizard.

"It could be. Do you know the way she was headed?" Levy face lit up, and her eyes sparkled with hope and anticipation. Lucy thought for a moment, "South, I believe. She came into town and left on foot so she can't be too far ahead." Levy, nearly on the verge of tears, was about to thank her old friend for her help when she heard the echoing, clanging of bells.

Lucy stood up calmly, unfazed by the sound. "It's time for dinner," she explained as she held out her hand towards Levy. "I'll assume you would like to talk will my husband before leaving." Levy took Lucy's hand and smiled.

***

"How long do we have?"

Cana pulled out a few tarot cards from her deck and displayed them in front of Natsu, his young page and three of the palace's finest soldiers. "I'd say two weeks at most." The room remained silent. What were they going to do? With all of Magnolia in dreamland, there was a good chance the Acnologia would come back to finish the job. According to "the stars" as Cana said, they all had two weeks before Acnologia wiped the kingdom from the map or all the inhabitants starved.

One of Natsu's top generals, a woman with long scarlet hair, stepped forward. "I assume we'll be leaving tomorrow. Natsu nodded without a second thought. Igneel had promised to protect Magnolia in its time of need and Natsu was determined to keep his father's word. "Anyone have any idea how to explain this to Levy?" One soldier, Gray, asked. The room became empty again. Nobody wanted to tell Levy that that monster was returning.

Natsu's blue-haired page, Happy, held his mouth open in shock. "I don't think that will be a problem," he stated. Everyone gave confused looks until Happy pointed behind the group. Everyone turned around and went pale as they saw Levy and Lucy stand in the doorway.

No one knew how to react. Every highly trained soldier froze in anxiety and terror. Lucy calmly stepped forward, "She already knows everything we do. There's no need to stay quiet." That brought a little calm to everyone in the room. "In fact, she might know more," Lucy signaled Levy to join them. Levy moved forward and pulled out Mavis' book. She repeated everything she had explained to Kurogane, nearly expecting everyone to either dismiss her or laugh in her face. Surprisingly, nobody seemed shocked by the notion of Natsu being a dragon. That revelation was the one they were the calmest about.

"That actually makes a lot of sense," Happy broke the silence. That moment, Natsu took in a deep breath which confused Levy. Without warning, an inferno expelled from his mouth, setting the drapes ablaze and putting everyone in a panic.

"Gray!"

"Aquarius!"

"Happy! Get a bucket!"

"Aye!"

Natsu pushed Levy out of his study, unwilling to face Erza's wrath much less that of his wife. "Why don't we start dinner? I bet your starving," Natsu suggested with sweat beading down his face.

Levy's stomach rumbled. She hadn't received a proper meal since the curse activated. Levy smiled and nodded, unable to refuse the kind offer.

***

As Natsu and Levy took a seat at the dining table, Lucy entered the eating chamber with her gown slightly singed, soaked and her face consumed with rage. Natsu lifted the lid of the main tray revealing a gorgeously cooked bird. "Peacock. Your favorite," displaying a nervous smile.

Lucy didn't reply and just took her seat next to Natsu. She gave her husband the cold shoulder as she carved a large piece of the roasted bird and put it on her plate. The silence seemed to get to Natsu and turned to Levy, "So, you mentioned needing six more dragons to stop Acnologia." Levy nodded will her mouth was full. "Lucy informed me of a possible lead," she said after swallowing. "Hopefully that will soon be five."

"Make that four," Natsu added from nowhere. Levy nearly choked on drink as she heard his statement. The pink-haired was rewarded with a fierce punch in the face courtesy of his wife. Natsu fell to the floor with a loud thud and quickly sprang up with his arms high in the air, "I was serious! Please don't hit me!"

Lucy calmed down and allowed Natsu to continue. He explained that he had seen the same thing in Gajeel, only different. Like how Natsu's powers were associated with fire, Gajeel's came from metal. Natsu's had seen Gajeel use his powers in a few of their brawls before losing contact, with Gajeel turning his arms into weapons and his skin into armor.

Natsu's face formed a curious expression, "You two are betrothed, right? The two of have never met, yet you've never made a complaint?" Lucy raised her hand and Natsu lowered his head under the table.

Levy made a slight smile, which calmed Lucy and allowed Natsu to rise. "It kinda silly," Levy replied, giggling at herself for her ridiculous motives. "Many years ago, a little boy pulled me out of a river and saved my life. The young men in Sterling decorate their faces with silver studs to display their strength, so I knew where he came from." Levy stared at the table, a bit ashamed for her reasons for not objecting to the arrangement. "You could say I agreed to thank that boy for his kindness."

As she finished, the doors swung open, resulting in the three adults to jump out of their seats. "Would you calm down, you old goat?!" Kurogane entered the room in newly tailored clothes; a short-sleeved shirt, a dark gray vest and black pants tucked into his boots. Seemingly, he had been pushed in by an older, finely dressed man wearing dark glasses and with white hair and a beard. Lucy waved at the old man, "Thank you very much Capricorn. You did great work as always." The old man smiled, bowed and left the room.

Irritated, Kurogane ripped a leg off the peacock and began to leave the dining hall, "I'll be in my room if anyone needs me," he called out. Levy scowled. It seemed like for every time Levy was starting to see Kurogane was a decent guy, he reverted back to a brute. Natsu rose from his chair, "I realized I have something I need to take care of." He kissed the top of Lucy's head. "You two have fun," he chimed as he headed out the door, leaving the two young women confused.

***

Kurogane leaned against the balcony of his room for the night. As he stared Following her was sure to be loads of fun stars, an ocean of thoughts flowed through his mind - thoughts of Sterling, his father, Juvia, Pantherlily and mostly Levy.

"Hey there, Gajeel," Natsu entered the room still in his elaborate attire and displaying his trademark idiot grin. Gajeel grunted and barely reacted when Natsu roughly slapped him in the back. "Don't be like that," Natsu burst out laughing, "I'm not that dumb. I mean, I've known you since we were four."

Gajeel growled. "Just tell me what you want!" He was already losing his patience with his oldest companion. "Come on," Natsu chuckled. "Let me enjoy the short time I outrank you." Natsu continued to laugh as Gajeel scowled and turned away.

"Why doesn't she know?" Natsu asked sternly. Gajeel turned to see a rare sight; Natsu had shed his smile and donned a serious expression. "I know you were never in favor of the alliance, but I think there's something more to this whole thing. It's like you want her to hate you."

Gajeel buried his face in his arms. Natsu detected a hint of shame in his eyes, an emotion rarely displayed by Gajeel. "You remember what Levy said during dinner," Gajeel began. "About the boy from Sterling who saved her from drowning." Natsu nodded, a little surprised he was paying attention to what Levy had said. "That was me," Gajeel heard nothing from Natsu, " I didn't want to disappoint her after seeing who I am now."

Gajeel felt a sharp smack in the back of his head. "Ow! What the hell Salamander!" Natsu remained unfazed, if not mildly annoyed. "You gotta stop this whole self-loathing bullcrap. Levy is a kind-hearted, forgiving person. She's not gonna care about any of that." Gajeel understood that Natsu was right. After all, he had known Levy a lot better than Gajeel did.

"I'll tell her when it's right," Gajeel finally replied. "Good," Natsu said, "Just don't wait too long." Gajeel lifted himself to get ready for bed, but Natsu stood before him, giving Gajeel the expression of a protective older brother. "Remember. If you ever hurt Levy, I'll kick your ass."

Gajeel smiled and placed his hand on Natsu's shoulder, "I wouldn't have it any other way."


	7. Ambush

The next morning, Gajeel was barely awake. His eyes had dark rings underneath and he couldn't keep his eyelids open.

"You look like Hell," he heard someone jest. Gajeel turned to see Natsu grinning like a maniac and seemed well rested. Gajeel was not amused. "No thanks to you and your wife."

It turns out Natsu's bedchamber was just down the hall. Levy and Cana were lucky to be sleeping in a different wing altogether. "You two sure made up quickly."

Natsu shrugged, "Comes with the agreement. You're going to have that kind of fun soon yourself." Gajeel scowled as Natsu burst out laughing at his own joke. "We'll see about that," Gajeel replied before socking the idiot in the jaw. Levy was still the sweetheart he had met all those years ago, but Gajeel wasn't the kind of man that was meant to settle down. Especially not with a girl he barely knew for no reason.

All Gajeel wanted to do was get back on the road and finish the job as soon as possible. He quickly rushed out of the palace and into the courtyard. As he made it to Cana's wagon, Gajeel noticed someone didn't recognize with Cana and Levy.

The guy was lanky, especially compared to Gajeel. He carried himself with a suave, sophisticated essence complemented by his snazzy ass suit and casually slicked back, orange hair. The smile on his face and way he fidgeted with his glasses made Gajeel want to smack the guy upside the head.

"Who the hell are you?" Gajeel finally said when was close enough to be heard. Despite the aggressive tone normally present in his voice, the man didn't even bat an eye. He tripped the brim of an imaginary hat, "Sir Leo Loke, my good sir." Gajeel wasn't sure if the guy was being genuine courteous or mocking him.

He turned to Levy and Cana who were already up front, "Why is he here?"

Cana smugged. "Well, we're going to be recruiting dragons. We'll need as much help as we can get."

"But why him?" Gajeel knew Natsu had dozens of incredibly powerful soldiers and most of Lucy's servants were trained in some form of combat. "I volunteered," Leo replied as smooth and fluid as honey. Gajeel didn't find that reassuring.

Cana started to call out, "Alright, get the back you two. We heading off." Leo complied and began to climb into the wagon. Gajeel stayed behind shaking his head, "No way am I going into that deathtrap with that drunk at the wheel." Last time, he was lucky not to get his skull smashed open. "I'm walking and that's that."

Levy groaned, "Kurogane, you won't be able to keep up with us on foot." Gajeel continued to shake his head, "Don't care." Levy hopped off the coach and stomped her way towards Gajeel. She pouted as she stared into his glaring eyes. Levy was getting very tired of this man's stubbornness.

Before she could utter a word, Gajeel's eyes began to stagger and he nearly fell on top of Levy. Luckily, Leo was able to catch him before Levy was crushed.

Levy's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.  _What just happened?_ Leo pulled something from his pocket while still holding up Gajeel. It was a small velvet sack. "It's sleeping sand," Leo explained. "Scorpio gave it to me in case of emergencies. He should be back in the fray in around six hours." Despite his skinny frame, Leo was able to bring Gajeel into the wagon while Levy returned to the coach.

"We're ready to go?" Cana asked, anxious to begin the trip. Levy nodded and Cana's face lit up. She took a firm hold of the reins and snapped them down in a split of a second. With that, Bruno bolted south.

Cana took another look at Levy. She had her arms crossed over her chest and had donned the cutest little pouty face. "That fella of yours giving you a hard time?" Cana teased as she patted Levy's head. Levy balled her fists, "I don't get it. One moment he saves me from bandits and offers his help then the next he's rude to everyone." Cana tried hard not to giggle. Levy was clearly not accustomed to men who didn't act like they needed to be wary with their words at all times. "Be patient. Men are a mysterious breed. In no time, I'll bet you'll learn he's more than he makes himself out to be."

"Uuggh," Gajeel woke up to a dizzy feeling in his head. His vision started out blurry and only able to make out colors. Slowly, he began to see shadows, then shapes and finally Gajeel's vision returned. He wasn't excited about that fact as the first thing he could make out was Leo trying to keep the liquor barrels from toppling over.

Without a second thought, Gajeel socked Leo hard in the shoulder. "Ahh. You're awake," Leo didn't sound too fazed as he stroked the spot Gajeel hit and surely left a large bruise. "I wasn't expecting you to regain consciousness so soon-" Gajeel interrupted him with another punch. "You seem upset."

Gajeel's face turned bright red in rage, "Yeah, because you drugged me and put me back into this deathtrap driven by a drunkard!"

"It's not a drug," Leo corrected. "I don't give a damn," Gajeel replied with his scowl intact. Suddenly, the wagon began to shake violently stopped with half the cart tilted. Gajeel lost his balance and landed on several empty barrels behind him, shattering them to hundreds of pieces. However, Leo remained standing next to him, tall and dignified, without a single drop of liquor on him. Gajeel was really starting to hate him.

The two of them crawled out of the wagon. It didn't take long to figure out what had happened. One of the front wheels was broken into dozens of small pieces. Cana and Levy were kneeling on the ground with Levy clutching her arm.

Leo rushed over, "Your majesty! Are you hurt?" Levy tried to shrug it off and told him she was fine. Despite that, Leo was a little closer to Levy than Gajeel cared for.

Gajeel went up and took a look at Levy's arm. She hissed in pain even though Gajeel was barely touching her. "Must've broken something," he said before taking off his vest and ripping it into long strips. "Honestly hate doing this, but we need to keep you from moving your arm too much," Gajeel wrapped the cloth around her arm and tied it at the base of her neck.  _That should do it. At least until we can get a real doctor._

Cana, Leo and Levy were surprised by this sudden change in character. None of them expected someone as rowdy as Gajeel to know anything about medical care. And he was so gentle with Levy. Gajeel didn't bother with their stares as something else caught his eye.

He reached over under the wagon and among the shards of the broken wheel was an arrow that had been nearly snapped in half. The head was rough and jagged with black and purple feathers. Sweat slid from Gajeel's brow as his stomach clenched. He'd seen this before.

The trees began to shutter and the group heard footsteps rushing away. Like a lightning bolt, Gajeel ran after the perpetrator. "Leo! Stay here with the girls!" he commanded as he disappeared into the shadows and trees.

Whoever attacked them was a rookie. Any assassin or thief worth their salt, wouldn't have let their presence be known, much less leave footprints. Gajeel followed the prints to an empty clearing where the prints started to vanish. He balled his fists until his knuckles turned white and clenched his teeth so hard his jaws hurt. "Come out and face me!" Gajeel hollered into the trees. "I ain't going back to Jose and that bastard ain't getting Levy!" He'd recognize the arrowhead anywhere.

Gajeel heard footsteps behind him. He tried to hold back his scales, especially as he made out the sound of a sword being drawn. "That's a shame," Toromaru said, deadpan and salty. Gajeel turned to face Toromaru. He displayed his trademark stoic, annoyed expression and held his katana toward Gajeel's throat. "I was hoping this would be quick and painless."

He didn't show it, but Gajeel's heart was pounding. "You here alone or are those two creeps behind you?"

"Jose's taking care of Sol and Aria," Toromaru explained with no emotion. Seconds later, Gajeel felt the blade starting to press against his throat. "You should have stayed. Then, things wouldn't have gotten so messy."

He was right about things about to get messy. Gajeel didn't want to blow his cover, but there was no chance he was going to let any Phantom near Levy. Metal scales started to form on his hands and Gajeel's fingernails turned into talons. Gajeel would have wrapped his hand around Toromaru's throat if neither of them noticed the rustling in the bushes.

Toromaru said nothing with an annoyed expression still plastered on his face. A small spark appeared when he snapped his fingers that turned into an inferno as Toromaru waved h hand in that direction.

A second later, the flames flared back by a strong gust of wind. With their bodies full of adrenaline, Toromaru and Gajeel quickly leaped out the inferno's path.

Gajeel skidded into a cluster of thorn bushes. He was in pain and irriated, but Gajeel was grateful he hadn't ended up like a roast boar. Gajeel scoured the area and saw no sign of Toromaru.

 _Damnit_ Gajeel slammed his fist into the ground, so frustrated his face turned red and sweat started to bead from his forehead.

With a sharp pain climbing up his legs, Gajeel managed to pull himself back to his feet. He was about to head back to the others when something landed on top of him and started to claw out his eyes.

"Who are you?" he heard from what he figured was a six-year girl. "What do you do plan on doing to Wendy."

"Get the hell off me," Gajeel howled as he flailed his arms in the air. The two struggled for a good three minutes before he tripped and crashed into the ground. That second he heard another young girl behind him, "Carla, stop! Get off him!"

Gajeel felt his shoulders become lighter. He turned around to see two little girls. One was about twelve years old with long, dark blue pigtails and wearing a long, feathery looking robe that made her look like she was floating. The other was a very grumpy looking girls half the age of her friend with white hair.

Before Gajeel could ask who the hell they were, the older girl rolled up the legs of Gajeel's now charred pants while he tried not to scream in agony. The burns weren't too bad, but they were fresh and hurt like hell. "I'm very sorry," the older girl said. She was so quiet Gajeel barely heard her. "I won't be more than a moment."

She held her hands over his burns and the air around her fingers gave of a faint, warm glow. Before Gajeel's eyes, his burns started to disappear, not even leaving any scars.

Gajeel was shocked. He slowly got back up and found that the pain in his legs was gone. That shouldn't have been possible. Unless this girl was the dragon they were looking for.


	8. Camp

It was pretty easy for Gajeel to convince the dragon girl, Wendy, to come with him to the camp. She was fortunate he needed her to heal Levy's arm and have the two talk. Anyone else could have tricked her into bringing back a warmonger or destroying an entire town.

They couldn't say the same thing about Carla. She wasn't convinced Wendy wasn't in danger. When Gajeel asked Wendy to come with him and his companions, Carla tried to jump Gajeel. Unfortunately, she only ended up flailing her limbs as Gajeel held her by her collar.

They made it back to the wagon where the others had set up camp. Leo started a fire when Gajeel hollered, "Hey, look who I found." Wendy blushed as she caught the attention of the three strangers.

Cana came up to the girl and started to ruffle her hair. "Are you sure this little tike is a dragon?" She asked, unaware of Wendy's obvious discomfort. "It seems a little too easy."

Wendy's face turned utterly pink from shyness. Gajeel placed his shoulder and pointed towards Levy, who was still clutching her broken arm. "Show them what you can do." Wendy gulped and walked towards Levy.

She kneeled at Levy's side and took a deep breath before placing her hands over Levy's arm. Wendy's hands started to glow and give off a warm, comforting aura.

Wendy finished in a matter of seconds. She set her hands on her knees and quietly asked Levy to undo her sling. Levy raised a brow in confusion, but the princess didn't question it. She untied the sling, and the others' eyes widened as Levy was able to move her arm freely without any pain.

Levy squealed with joy as she pulled Wendy into a tight hug while Cana and Leo silently stood there in shock, mouths gaping and on the urge of fainting. Gajeel tried hard to contain his laughter.

Wendy and Levy went off to speak in private, with Carla joining them stating she already spent to much time with "boisterous hooligans." Gajeel didn't question how a girl so young knew what those words meant and began assisting Leo with building a fire for the night.

As the first sparks lit the wood into a comforting blaze, Cana came out of her wagon with a small sack of potatoes, a few pieces of salted meat, a cutting board and a small cauldron.

"Well, look at that," Gajeel chuckled out loud. "And here I thought you survived solely on booze." The comment followed with Gajeel receiving a hard thud on the head with Cana's cutting board and a small knife dropped at his feet. "Keep that up, and you'll have to be grabbing your dinner yourself." Cana gave a piercing glare before returning to the wagon.

Leo shook his head and groaned, "You don't have any sense of tact, do you?" Gajeel didn't answer and tossed the caldron at Leo, who had barely dodged it. "Just get some water for that damn pot," Gajeel demanded, starting to peel the skins of potatoes. Leo rolled his eyes and left with the pot.

With everyone else away, Gajeel had some time to think about his situation. Levy already found three dragons, and she wasn't even aware of the fact. Gajeel knew he was going to have to tell Levy his identity at some point. He didn't know how or when. Would she hate him? Would she cry? Would she ever want to see him after all this? That last thought made his skin crawl. Gajeel hadn't spent a lot of time with Levy, but even as children, she treated him as a person. Nearly everyone else saw him as either a royal or as garbage. Levy was one of a few highlights in his life.

A series of grunts pulled Gajeel from his thoughts. He turned his head and saw Leo struggle with the large cauldron and water sloshed around in it. Gajeel groaned, got off the ground and took the kettle out of Leo's hands. He put the pot on the ground and started to drain some of the water, "I didn't mean all the way. No one wants potatoes and meat-flavored water." He could have only figured that Leo never had to cook for himself once in his life.

Gajeel placed the cauldron over the fire and continued with his work. "Is there any time when you're not an asshole?" He looked up and saw Leo glaring at him, but soon looked down to cut the peeled potatoes into small bits. "Depends," Gajeel began, not taking his eyes away for the board or the knife. "Is there any time you're not a complete playboy?"

Leo chuckled, "I don't know what you mean?" Gajeel rolled his eyes. He had seen plenty of guys like him back in Sterling. The two-faced pieces of crap that would woo noblewomen into marriage to get status or money or some other bullcrap. Of course, Gajeel couldn't say that openly. He just replied, "Why else would accompany a party with two single, young women?"

"One," Leo corrected. "Our dear Levy is betrothed." The water started to boil at that second. Gajeel scrapped the potatoes into the water, as he tried to ignore Leo. Unfortunately, the man didn't get the hint. "To answer your question, you could say I'm doing this as a favor to Lucy." Gajeel stopped for a moment and raised a brow. Leo continued, "A few years ago, I was indirectly responsible for the death of a noblewoman back in my home country. The punishment meant a sentence to death, but Lucy took a stand for me." Gajeel nodded along,  _Sounds like something Salamander's wife would do._  "It worked, and now I serve on Lucy's squadron. I owe her my life."

Gajeel tried to hide his smirk. This man was trying to pay back the Bunny Girl by helping her best friend and a country that he didn't know. He couldn't tell if that was sickeningly cute or pathetic.

Leo smiled mischievously, something Gajeel didn't like in the slightest. "Hello, there," Leo started waving his arm like a dumb, overenthusiastic child. "You're just in time for dinner!" Gajeel looked over his shoulder and felt a wave of heat rush to his face as he saw Levy and Wendy running back to the camp for dinner, with Carla walking calmly behind them. He hoped they didn't hear anything that they were saying.

Wendy plopped down on the ground next to Gajeel, gleefully squealing as if she hadn't had food in weeks. Levy sat on the other of him, calmly taking in the soup's pungent aroma. Gajeel could have sworn he saw her mouth water.

Cana came out of her wagon with a set of bowls, a soup dipper and a giant smile plastered on her face. Gajeel said nothing, took a bowl and filled it with soup. Everyone else did the same but stopped when they noticed there wasn't any silverware around.

"Oh, don't bother looking," Cana said before taking the bowl to her lips and taking a slow slurp. "I don't carry utensils with me on the road. Too easy to lose. One cutting knife is all I need."

The others grimaced at the statement but didn't openly complain. They tried to drink straight from the bowl as Cana did. However, it became clear that none of them had eaten outside before.

Wendy and Carla each took a large gulp without cooling it down, burned their mouths, and spat out the soup. Loke did the same, but instead, ended up dropping the bowl of hot soup onto his lap. Gajeel's gut clenched as he witnessed Leo's pain filled face after the broth splashed all over his "most vulnerable area." Cana took Leo's arm and dragged him off somewhere Gajeel wasn't entirely aware. He prayed it was a place with plenty of cold water for Leo's sake.

Gajeel turned to Levy, half because of his concern and the other half from curiosity. He didn't want Levy to get a burn from her food but wanted to see her reaction. Levy just sat the bowl on her lap, not touching it and letting it slowly cool down. Gajeel sighed, "At that rate, you're not gonna eat till an hour after sunset." He took her bowl from Levy's lap and placed it into her hands. Gajeel then put his bowl up to his mouth, blew a few small, short breaths on the soup, and swallowed a small mouthful. He lowered the bowl, let out a satisfied sigh, and turned to Levy, "Now you try."

Levy did as Gajeel showed her, and it was more fulfilling that letting her bowl slowly burn her lap. The soup was warm, inviting, and delicious; it made her feel like she was back home at the dining table with her parents. Not in the forest with people she had just met.

"Don't worry," Levy's head shot up and turned to Gajeel. He placed his large calloused hand on her crown and started to ruffle her hair. It was surprisingly gently coming from a man like him. Gajeel smiled, not a smirk, a genuine smile. It was a pleasant expression on him. Levy would enjoy seeing him "They're going to be okay. You've already got thr-," Gajeel caught his tongue. "Two dragons on your side."

Levy lowered her head, causing Gajeel to panic. "I'm sorry! Did I say something wrong?!" Levy managed to keep herself from giggling. Until now, concern was not an emotion she had seen in Gajeel. It was, indeed, a sight to behold.

"No, not at all," Levy answered as she tried to fake a smile. The smile faded in seconds, and Levy resorted to burying her face in her knees. "It's just the only lead we have is a missing person." Gajeel just shrugged, "Then I guess we'll be heading to Sterling. If we're lucky, the rest will just come to us." Gajeel prayed for that to be the case. After all, that's how she met him and Wendy.

However, Gajeel's words didn't reassure Levy; in fact, her focus seemed to be on him. "Is there something wrong back home?" Gajeel's face went red. That question popped out of nowhere. He started to stammer until he managed to change the subject. "Oh look at that," he pointed up at the sky. The sun was setting turning the horizon a fiery red-orange color. The rest of the sky was pitch black with a dusting of stars. "It's getting late. We better hit the hay."

Levy didn't have a chance to protest when Gajeel threw her over his shoulder. She started to scream and furiously pounded her fists into Gajeel's back and kicking him in the sides. Gajeel laughed it all off as she hollered at him, "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Well, there's only three tents," he began. Levy couldn't see Gajeel's face but from his tone she could tell he was having a grand old time. "The Drunk's probably sleeping in her damn cart for God knows why, that catty girl won't let me anywhere near the brat, and there is no way in hell am listening to Leo wail in pain all fucking night." Levy crossed her arms and pouted, he could have just slept outside. Gajeel laughed again and Levy was about to yell at him when he said, "Besides how else am I going to protect you." Levy blushed and remained silent. His words would have been sweeter if his hand hadn't been so close to her ass.


End file.
